1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to hot beverage brewers, brew baskets used with hot beverage brewers and methods of brewing and more particularly to brewing systems in which beverage is brewed directly into insulated dispensers.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Beverage brewers of the type that have a source of hot water that is selectively passed though a dry beverage ingredient, such as ground coffee beans or tea leaves, held within a filter paper that, in turn, is held in a filter holder within a metal brew basket body. The brew basket body is has an open top and a bottom with a drain hole. The hot water is slowly passed though the layer of ingredient to create freshly brewed beverage that passes though the filter paper and out of the drain hole. The hot beverage passes directly from the drain hole into an inlet of an insulated dispenser. At the end of the brew cycle, the filled insulate dispenser may be removed to a remote serving location, and another empty insulated dispenser is moved to the brewing position beneath the brew basket to enable the commencement of another brew cycle. Before a new brew basket can commence, the brew basket is removed from beneath the source of hot water to enable removal of the spent ingredient from the prior brew cycle and the supporting filter paper from the open top of the brew basket and a new filter supporting a preselected quantity of unused dry beverage ingredient is installed into the brew basket, and the brew basket is returned to an operative position beneath the hot water source. Alternatively, if the brew basket may be separated from the brewer, a new brew basket with a new load of ingredient is substituted for the brew basket used during the prior brew cycle. In some brewing systems of high volume, the brew basket is a slidably attached drawer-like member to the brewer housing and is not normally separated from the housing.
For further details of the types of brewers to which the present invention generally relates, reference should be made to the following United States patents of the present inventor, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,000,082 issued Mar. 19, 1991 for “Beverage Maker and Method of Making Beverage”; 5,331,885 issued Jul. 26, 1994 for “Semiautomatic Beverage Maker and Method”; 5,943,944 issued Aug. 31, 1999; 6,706,300 issued Mar. 16, 2004 for “Brewing System with Movable Brew Basket Mounting Apparatus and Method” and 6,499,628 issued Dec. 31, 2002 for “Insulated Urn with Heat Retentive Closures and Method”.
In all brewers of the type that do not use heaters to maintain the beverage temperature within the dispenser the temperature gradually declines. The temperature of the beverage as it enters the dispenser is the hottest temperature that the beverage will thereafter reach. In order to reduce heat loss through the inlet during the filling of the dispenser, it is known to make the dispenser inlet no larger than necessary to accommodate the maximum beverage flow rate from the drain hole without the beverage backing up and to locate the dispenser inlet closely adjacent to the drain hole. It is also known to reduce heat loss by passing the beverage directly to the bottom of the dispenser through a down tube and to pass the beverage to the inlet of the down tube through an insulated funnel mounted within the top cover of the dispenser. Despite the insulation of the dispenser, the temperature of the beverage gradually declines due to removal of beverage during serving, heat radiation and heat conduction through the insulated top cover and walls of the dispenser.
Eventually the temperature of the beverage will reach the ambient temperature of the location of the dispenser, but long before then, the temperature passes through a preselected minimum serving temperature. When this occurs, in commercial freshly brewed coffee or tea serving establishments, the remaining beverage is no longer served but is dumped and thus wasted.
It is therefore desired to extend the length of time that it takes for the beverage temperature to decline from maximum temperature to the minimum serving temperature. This time duration is directly related to the initial temperature of the beverage when it is first added to the dispenser. This initial composite temperature of the beverage within the dispenser is directly related to the initial temperature of the hot water when it is first added to the beverage. This initial temperature can be controlled to a degree by controlling the initial temperature of the hot water that is added to the beverage ingredient in the brew basket, but this temperature cannot be made hotter than the boiling point of the water. However, the optimal flavor results are generally obtained when the hot water is several degrees beneath the boiling temperature of the water. Regardless of the temperature of the hot water, the inventor has noted that there is significant heat loss within the brew basket due to conduction of heat though the side walls and bottom of the metal brew baskets in addition to radiation. The longer the time duration of the brew cycle including the dispense period as well as the drip period and any pre-wetting period, the greater is the reduction in temperature, but there are limits to how short the brew cycle can be made, and different preselected, brew cycle times have been determined for different quantities and different types of ingredient to obtain optimal flavor and other beverage ingredient extraction, and it is therefore undesirable to vary from these time periods.
Because of the heat conduction through the walls and bottom of the metal brew basket, the brew basket becomes heated to a relatively high temperature. This is due to the high level of thermal conduction of the stainless steel that is generally required for purposes of durability, inertness and hygiene and to obtain FDA approval for contact with food in a commercial brewer. After completion of the brew cycle, except for a small residual amount still held by the spent ingredient, all the hot water has passed from the brew basket and the brew basket temperature will begin to decline. Eventually, the brew basket will reach a temperature that is comfortable to the touch and, more importantly, which will not cause burn injury, if touched.
The inventor has noted, however, that in commercial operations, it is often required to rapidly perform successive brew cycles beginning one brew cycle as soon as a prior brew cycle is completed. This requires handling of the brew basket at the end of each brew cycle before there has been sufficient cooling time to safely handle the hot brew basket without risk of pain or burn injury. Even without serious burn injury, the brew basket may be dropped during handling due to the heat pain and the hot wet ingredient spilled. Also, when encountering such risks, employees may be reluctant to rapidly cycle the brewer even when required by demand for high volume production of freshly brewed beverage, resulting in undesirably slow service.
Thus, the inventor has observed that there is a need for improvement in brewers, brewing methods and brew baskets that will overcome the safety and beverage-temperature maintenance problems noted above.